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Today's Features

By Mary Woolsey
Sounds are important. Sunday night, the gentle sound of rain falling was a wonderful thing. Listening for the stir of a baby during the night is another. The sound of beautiful music is always refreshing.
Such was the case on Monday as SoftFire began playing. David and Patricia Pence (known as SoftFire) have an assortment of musical instruments, and are also talented vocally. One of their early numbers was “What a Mighty God We Serve.”

For more than 150 years, the women of St. James Lutheran Church in Vandalia and Zion Lutheran Church in Loogootee have been known as great cooks.
To help raise money to restore the church's steeple, the women have published the "Town and Country Cookbook."
The book includes more than 250 recipes, contributed by more than 100 church members. To obtain one, call the church at 283-0725.
Sefton churches to meet Sept. 8, 9

In the beginning, God created the Garden of Eden for his children. In the midst of the garden grew the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. The Lord God told Adam that he could eat from any tree in the Garden of Eden except one, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Anniversary
Myron and Della Pontious celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at Old Capitol View Restaurant in Vandalia on Saturday.
Those people attending were from Wisconsin, St. Louis, Mo., Columbia, Ill., Effingham, Teutopolis and St. Peter.
Airlifted to St. John’s
Helen Limes, mother of Belinda Harpster, both of St. Peter, was airlifted to St. John’s hospital in Springfield on Thursday night. She returned home on Monday.
Weekend Visitors

Katy Scheduled for Elective Surgery
Katy, the newest little doggie face on the Homestead, is now 19 weeks old and will soon have her doggie elective (?) surgery.
The decision has also been made that she is ready to attend obedience classes. It isn’t that she is bad-tempered or mean in any way. On the other hand, she is overwhelmingly affectionate.
She loves to play and wants everyone to play with her, all of the time.
She is also proving to be a good watchdog and alerts us when anything moves in the edge of our yard in the woods.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Thursday, August 30
• Exxon/Mobil Annuitants, noon, Vandalia Ponderosa.
• The first of four programs sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension will be at 7 p.m. at the U of I Extension Office in Vandalia at 118 N. Sixth Street. It is “Beyond Ash and Maple-Tree Selection,” and will be offered via the University of Illinois Telenet system and local computer PowerPoint presentations, allowing live discussion between the instructor and gardeners throughout Illinois.

Continuing with the second of three stories in this series of the old Cumberland Road stagecoach stops and the tradition of providing food and rest for travelers and local folks, the focus this week is on the Good Old Days Catering and Banquet Hall at 365 W. Cumberland Road.

Nearly 19,000 adults volunteer annually to assist with local 4-H programs across the state. An elite group of those volunteers were honored Saturday, Aug. 11, at the Illinois State Fairgrounds by the Illinois 4-H Foundation.

Four local volunteers were inducted into the Illinois 4-H Foundation’s Hall of Fame, including Mary Ann Rhoades of Ramsey.

Shepard
Descendants of the late John Harlen and Mary Etta (Stone) Shepard gathered at Patoka Christian Church in Patoka on May 26 for a carry-in dinner.
Twenty-seven members of the family attended the reunion. Diane Arnold offered the blessing for the meal.